News and Views From An American Royalist.
The Remembrance of the Dead ceremony, held May 4th each year, is the first event in the reign of King Willem Alexander.
Along with Queen Maxima, the king laid a wreath at the National Monument in Amsterdam. The Remembrance Day (Dodenherdenking) ceremony commemorates the casualties of World War II.
The National Monument was officially opened on May 4th, 1956 by Willem-Alexander’s grandmother, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.
Images from the recent celebrations in the Netherlands (click to enlarge).
April 29th: The night before the abdication and investiture, Her Majesty the Queen hosted a dinner in the Rijksmuseum for several crowned heads. Willem-Alexander was dapper in black tie, and Maxima was resplendent in red and diamonds. Queen Bea wore her Diamond and Pearl Ornate Tiara, the very same tiara she wore for her wedding to Prince Claus.
April 30th: Princess Beatrix stands with the new King Willem-Alexander and his wife, Queen Maxima, after signing the abdication papers. The king paid tribute to his mother for her 33 years as monarch.
His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, sworn in and inaugurated during the joint session of Parliament in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.
The king made a speech and took the oath. Members of the States General and delegates of the States of the countries Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten have followed the oath or vow.
The king’s oath:
I swear to the peoples of the Kingdom that I the Charter for the Kingdom and the Constitution will always serviced and maintained.
I swear that I am the independence and the territory of the Kingdom with all my power will defend and preserve, that I have the freedom and the rights of all Dutch and all residents will protect, and sustain and advance the prosperity which will use all means the laws available to me as a good and faithful King’s duty to do.
So help me God Almighty!
The return oath of the States General:
We receive and honor, on behalf of the peoples of the Kingdom and under the Charter for the Kingdom and the Constitution, You as King, We swear (promise) that we will maintain your integrity and rights of Your Kingship.
We swear (promise) to do everything good and faithful States General States of Aruba, Curaçao States and States of Sint Maarten guilty to do everything.
So help us God Almighty! (We promise!)
That evening, the king, queen, and their daughters took part in a flotilla. The river filled with 250 boats containing various Dutch sports, music and ballet stars performing in honor of the new monarch. The new royal family also attended a celebratory concert.
A wonderful series of events to usher in a new era! Lang leve de koning!
As the sun rose in the eastern United States, a certain blogger was stumbling awake to watch – and tweet about – the abdication of Queen Beatrix.
Though it was still dark for me, the sun was shining in the Netherlands today as people celebrated – and said goodbye to – their queen of 33 years. In turn, they lifted up her son and heir, now king. Willem-Alexander now takes the stage along with his wife, Maxima, and their three daughters.
It is a big deal for the Netherlands and royal watchers in general: Beatrix has been queen since 1980. She took the throne when her mother, Queen Juliana, abdicated in her favor. Juliana herself had taken the reins when her mother, Wilhelmina, abdicated in 1948.
So on that spring day of April 30th, 1980, the event was nothing new, but it wasn’t short of emotion. A proud Juliana passed the crown to her daughter, who accepted it with pride and gratitude. Beatrix’s eldest son, the young Willem-Alexander, watched as his mother was created queen and knew that someday the role of kingship would be his as well. But that was far into the future!
Beatrix promised her people that she would represent them to the best of her ability, and she did. She rejoiced with her countrymen over the good things, and cried with them over the tragedies. They celebrated “Queen’s Day” each year with a sea of orange hats, clothes, and facepaint. The public would also burst out in an array of orange sunshine for the weddings of Beatrix’s children and nephews.
The tide of orange turned to black when the Queen lost members of her family over the years, which included her father, mother, and her husband. In shock, the Queen mourned with the public over the loss of life and injuries sustained when a madman drove his car through a crowd celebrating Queen’s Day. The public and the monarch have been emotionally tied together for over 30 years, and it’s not easy to let go. Many people in the crowd today wiped eyes full of tears. It’s not as though the queen is going anywhere, really, but it is a symbolic end to a long, strong relationship between sovereign and people.
The reign of Queen Beatrix was full of many successful years. Today we say “thank you” and wish her well. Now it is time, in that Dutch tradition, for King Willem-Alexander to make his own memories in a reign full, we fervently hope, of many blessings.
April 30th will be a bittersweet day. We’re all looking forward to the investiture of Prince Willem-Alexander, but we will miss Queen Beatrix.
Not only will we miss Beatrix as queen, but we will miss those unmistakable hats and her glorious array of jewels. Oh, they’ll still be around, but it won’t be the same. The full-time jewel and tiara-wearing will fall to Maxima, who is sure to shine as King Willem-Alexander’s queen consort.
We know Maxima, and she’s not going to disappoint. Her hats are not as distinct as those of Queen Beatrix, but she will certainly pull her weight in the jewel department. Her record as a princess bears that out – if it’s not colorful statement jewelry, then Maxima is wearing the heck out of a set of rubies, emeralds, or diamonds. I can hardly wait for her “queen style”.
Willem-Alexander will wear a tail coat with white tie under the royal mantle, but Maxima will surely pull out all the stops with a gorgeous gown and magnificent suite. As with Crown Princess Victoria’s wedding, I am going to try and guess which tiara will be worn for the event! A few ideas (click to enlarge images):
The Peacock Tiara is part of a huge ruby and diamond set which includes this matching necklace.
The little jewel “spray”, or peacock motif, on the tiara is actually a removable piece. This is not the only ruby darling up Maxima’s well-tailored sleeve, however!
The Ruby Mellerio tiara We’ve heard the Mellerio name before – he’s a French jeweler famous for creating several Dutch tiaras as well as tiaras belonging to Spanish royals (Mellerio Shell and Floral tiaras). This ruby parure, the tiara worn by Maxima at left, was ordered by King Willem III for his second wife, Queen Emma.
The Diamond Bandeau Tiara was created for Queen Juliana using large diamonds that her grandmother, Queen Emma, had received as a wedding gift.
Maxima has worn this tiara on several occasions. At left, she dons the Bandeau for the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. The sumptuous diamond rocks are set in platinum.
Maxima’s ‘Stars’ wedding tiara – These beauts belonged to Queen Emma. Maxima has worn this tiara on several occasions and donned it for her wedding day to Willem-Alexander.
I didn’t realize that another tiara like this existed. Interestingly, the Mountbatten family has a similar tiara within their family. If you thought a fringe tiara was pointy, guess again!
Aquamarines are amazing. These brilliant blue gems have graced the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Swedish princesses, and of course, the Dutch royal ladies.
These particular aquamarines seen on Maxima are Brazilian Aquamarines, an eighteenth birthday present for Princess Juliana from her parents. The tiara is a diamond and aquamarine bandeau topped with seven large briolette cut aquamarine stones (a briolette is an elongated pear-shaped gemstone cut with facets, and is often styled to hang as a bead).
The Antique Peal tiara holds large, pear-shaped pearl spikes within an array of delicate diamond petals. The spikes are removable for a more subtle look without losing sparkle.
Maxima has worn the tiara both ways, and at left we see her in the tiara’s full glory for one of her official 40th birthday portraits in 2011 (photo by Erwin Olaf).
What’s your preferred suite for Maxima? Do you think she’ll wear something other than these? Let me know in the comments below. Viva le Orange!
Thanks to:
Royal Magazin
Mad Hattery
Order of Splendor
©Wikipedia
One year ago today, the Dutch royal family had their lives turned upside down.
Prince Friso, the second son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, was buried in an avalanche while skiing at the Austrian resort of Lech with his family. He was buried in a tide of snow for approximately 20 minutes. The doctors who treated him indicated that the prince’s brain was oxygen-starved during this time, resulting in a heart attack. Neurological tests showed that after fifty minutes of reanimation in moderate hypothermia he also suffered massive brain damage.
The prince has been comatose ever since.
Queen Beatrix’s impending abdication has led many to believe that she intends to leave the spotlight in order to help support her son and his family. Friso’s wife, Princess Mabel, has since given up her job to care for him and their two daughters, Luana and Zaria.
Today, the Dutch royal family is back in Lech where prayers are being offered for Friso at the local church.
Dutch Abdication: What Happens Now?
Who is Who?
When Queen Beatrix signs the instrument of abdication, she will cease to be queen at that moment and will revert to the title and style of Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau. She will be addressed as Your Royal Highness.
At that time, Prince Willem-Alexander will officially be proclaimed King. His official title will be His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands. He will be addressed as Your Majesty.
Willem-Alexander’s wife, Princess Máxima, will become Her Majesty Queen Máxima. She will be addressed as Your Majesty, with the duties of a queen consort.
Willem-Alexander’s eldest daughter, Princess Catharina-Amalia, will be known as Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange. The title Prince/Princess of Orange is given to those who are the heir to the throne.
What will happen on the day?
In the Netherlands, monarchs are not crowned, but invested. The new king or queen immediately assumes the duties of head of state at the moment their predecessor dies or abdicates. The Dutch Constitution stipulates that the new monarch must be sworn in and invested as soon as possible after such an event.
Queen’s Day to become King’s Day
There will no longer be an official Koninginnedag (Queen’s Day), on April 30th. That’s the day that the Netherlands celebrates the Queen’s official birthday. It will now be referred to as King’s Day and be celebrated on April 27th, Willem-Alexander’s birthday.
Welcome to another week of Royal news! I discuss what’s happening after the Dutch Queen’s announcement today!
Or, subscribe in Google Reader
Not on YouTube?
Where it all started: Mandy's British Royalty
Shop royal goods: Sovereign Goods
Royal news: RoyaltyNow!
Royal education: Royal Educational Society
Do Americans Give European Royals The Brush Off?
Do Americans give European royals the brush off? Though King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were resplendent in their regal finery, and he being the first Dutch king in 123 years, America did not light up with interest.
CNN’s Erin Burnett discusses whether or not Americans pay much attention to anyone other than the Windsors.
Here’s what I think, and feel free to agree or disagree:
The British royals all speak English. That makes life easy for us. Unfortunately, we don’t typically have opportunities to learn other European languages other than basic French or Spanish in high school.
Plus, the coverage of the investiture was not widely reported in our media like it would be for the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, or Prince William. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima are older and more businesslike. Many Americans are pulled only by glossy Hollywood-type royals, and the media plays into that. Queen Elizabeth II is an institution all her own, and people respect her. Otherwise, the public can’t be bothered with serious monarchy; there is only interest when something scandalous or fashionable happens.
Then there was the issue of time: only the most devoted Dutch-Americans and royal watchers were up for the ceremony. Timing for live impact was nearly impossible and really exhausting. The Netherlands is 6 hours ahead, and that’s just for the Eastern U.S.!
I believe that these are some of the reasons that the Dutch royals did not garner as much interest as the British would. Or is Erin Burnett right – is our “love affair” with royalty on the way out?